


A Healing Balm

by The_Golden_Dice



Series: Discovering Intimacy [8]
Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Beauty and the Beast - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Guilt, Healing, Magic, Parenthood, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-04 01:22:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17888870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Golden_Dice/pseuds/The_Golden_Dice
Summary: Adam and Belle’s daughter shows herself to be incredibly magical. Belle reacts positively, but Adam still has some healing to do when it comes to magic.





	1. Chapter 1

Belle entered the nursery as quietly as she could. Adam followed behind her, taking extra care to walk on the rugs that were scattered around the room instead of the flagstones that would magnify the sounds made by his shoes. They had arrived back at the castle by way of the magical book and were expecting the main library to be empty. However, it was not. 

Maurice and Agathe moved towards the newly returned couple in unison, their faces a picture of relief. They had obviously been in the middle of a discussion, and what ensued was a somewhat strained conversation between all four that revealed to Belle and Adam that Adèle had begun to show signs of magic. In fact, this had happened the same day they had left for Scotland. 

Gazing now at Adèle’s peaceful, sleeping face, Belle marvelled at the fact that someone so tiny could be so powerful. She was not afraid of her daughter’s magic, and continued to look upon the baby in wonder. It did not come to Adam to be so naturally accepting of the fact that his daughter had proved to be magical at such a young age. In fact he was surprised that Belle, upon hearing what Adèle had done, had seemed so excited. He would have thought his logical wife would have had more questions. He certainly had a few. 

Adèle shifted in her sleep, her tiny right hand grasping at the coverlet that was wrapped around her. That hand was where the magic had manifested itself. According to Agathe and Maurice, Adèle - whilst propped up in her grandfather’s lap on the nursery floor, had been approached by Froufrou. The small dog had been in the habit of sniffing the baby ever since she had been born, and she seemed to enjoy his company. Adèle had proceeded to unceremoniously heal a scratch on Froufrou’s nose, simply by placing her little palm over the injured area. What startled Adam most was the fact that Adèle, at less than six months old, had been aware of Froufrou’s pain.

Looking at his daughter, Adam couldn’t help but feel as though he had burdened her. Clearly the healing magic he had used to save Belle had transferred to Adèle in the womb. A large part of him was eternally grateful that he had been able to tap into Agathe’s magic the day Belle had fallen ill, however he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that he had altered his daughter’s fate irreversibly.

All of the negative ways that magic had impacted him and the people he cared for flashed before his eyes, and he was powerless to resist a strong sense of foreboding. That, combined with the guilt he still carried from arguing with Belle in Scotland, threatened to overwhelm him. As Adèle began to awaken, Adam rushed out of the nursery without looking back.


	2. Chapter 2

Belle struggled with the logical voice in her head for several minutes after Adam left. It was telling her to give him time alone to calm down. He had been under an incredible amount of strain in recent days. In fact, she reminded herself, there had been several difficult incidents over the past year that had taken their toll on all of them. Looking down at Adèle, who was now fully awake and smiling, Belle knew her heart had made the decision for her. She scooped Adèle into her arms, placed a gentle kiss on the baby’s forehead and proceeded to follow Adam. 

She found him in their bedroom. As she entered the room, he looked up at her from the bed, where he was sitting with his head in his hands. Adèle squealed in delight when she recognised her father, and the two adults broke into irrepressible smiles at the sound of their daughter’s joy. Adam’s smile faded quickly however, and Belle remained standing in the doorway, too wary to enter for fear of making Adam feel crowded. 

In her arms, Adèle was gurgling and reaching towards the bed. Realising that the baby wanted to go to him, Belle moved towards Adam and placed Adèle in his open arms. Watching them, Belle saw Adam and Adèle lock eyes and hold each other’s gaze for several seconds. Suddenly, the baby lifted her tiny right hand and placed it over Adam’s heart. 

He could feel warmth through his clothing, where Adèle’s hand rested. There was no visible sign that anything was happening, but internally, Adam could feel the magic spread through his entire body. Adèle kept her hand pressed to him until the warmth faded and stopped, leaving him feeling more himself than he had since before Scotland. At that moment, Agathe appeared in the doorway behind Belle, looking apprehensive. 

Belle, who had been watching the scene transfixed, spun around to face Agathe and caught sight of the worried look on her face. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked, suddenly strained. 

Agathe looked from Belle to Adam and Adèle, and back again. 

“I sensed the magic. I didn’t expect it to manifest again so soon. Adèle is so small, I’m afraid it may overwhelm her.” 

With those words, Agathe moved around Belle to stand beside Adam and looked deeply into Adèle’s eyes. She gazed at the baby for what felt like a very long time, and all the while Adèle looked back at her. Eventually Agathe stood back. She looked again at Belle and, sounding astonished, she stated;

“The magic is gone.”


	3. Chapter 3

Agathe watched the sleeping baby. She could sense the magic again, emanating from the child very faintly as it grew stronger. It had almost disappeared when Adèle instinctively reached up to heal her father’s pain. Agathe could only guess, but she felt sure that Adèle’s power would grow as she aged. It had to have almost depleted itself due to the fact that Adèle was so young. In all of her long life, the enchantress had never encountered one so new to the world with so much power. Of course, the power came from herself Agathe herself, and was ancient. Not only that, it was born of true love - which created the strongest magic. 

Turning towards the doorway of the nursery, Agathe followed Belle and Adam quietly out of the room. She still felt honoured that they allowed her to be part of the family, but she would not stay the night in the castle - for reasons she wished to keep to herself. The couple walked her to the main doors and watched as she retreated towards her home in the woods. 

It was late, and everyone in the castle had retired to their own rooms. Belle and Adam walked silently and slowly arm-in-arm, to the bedroom in the west wing that had once been Belle’s. They both considered it their shared bedroom now. Closing the door on the rest of the world, they undressed each other without speaking. They didn’t need words - Belle could tell that the change in Adam meant he had been healed. All thanks to magic. 

There was nothing hurried or frantic about the way Adam lay Belle on the bed and kissed her. He moved down, taking her nipples in his mouth one at a time, then he proceeded further. When the time came, he made love to his wife with no distractions, no worries, and no anxiety. Gently and passionately, they arrived at a joint climax. 

Some time later, wrapped in Adam’s arms and listening to the crackle of the fire, Belle whispered; 

“I love you.”

Adam kissed her temple softly and replied;

“I will love you forever.”

**Author's Note:**

> This will be the final part of the Discovering Intimacy series, as I feel it’s coming to a natural end. I don’t think I’ll be able to stop writing about these lovable weirdos though, so there may be another series before long to satisfy my need to be in their world! Thank you so much to every commenter, reader and kudoser, it’s meant the world to me to have your support.


End file.
